Impact resistant door facing, method of forming impact resistant door facing and door formed therewith

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an impact resistant door facing. The facing includes a rectangular sheet of molded hardened polymeric material having first and second opposing major surfaces. A mat having a continuous structure is integrally molded into the sheet. The mat is sufficiently porous to allow the polymeric material to permeate the mat prior to the polymeric material having hardened. The mat is disposed within the sheet so that at least one of the major surfaces is unbroken. The present invention also relates to a method of forming the disclosed door facing, and a door formed therewith.

We claim as follows: 
     
         1 . An impact resistant door, comprising:
 a peripheral frame defining an outer edge of the door;   first and second door facings secured to opposing sides of said frame; and   a core portion of the door defined between the first door facing and the second door facing,   at least one of said door facings comprising a hardened rectangular sheet and a porous mat, the hardened rectangular sheet comprising a sheet molding compound establishing an outer major surface of the at least one door facing, the outer major surface being unbroken by the porous mat, the porous mat comprising woven fiberglass having a continuous structure integrally molded into and permeated by the sheet molding compound, the porous mat being directly adjacent to the core portion of the door.   
     
     
         2 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the hardened rectangular sheet comprises sheet molding compound pre-impregnated into the porous mat. 
     
     
         3 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the hardened rectangular sheet is compression molded. 
     
     
         4 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the porous mat has a weave finer than 5 by 5 pics per square inch. 
     
     
         5 . The door of  claim 1 , further comprising a core material disposed within the core portion of the door defined between the first and second door facings. 
     
     
         6 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet molding compound is formed from a paste comprising an unsaturated polyester. 
     
     
         7 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet molding compound comprises fiberglass 
     
     
         8 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet molding compound comprises at least about 10% by weight chopped fiberglass. 
     
     
         9 . The door of  claim 8 , wherein the sheet molding compound comprises between about 10% by weight and about 18% by weight chopped fiberglass. 
     
     
         10 . The door of  claim 1 , wherein the door facings have rectangular outer boundaries that extend to and terminate at the peripheral frame. 
     
     
         11 . An impact resistant door, comprising:
 a peripheral frame defining an outer edge of the door;   first and second door facings secured to opposing sides of said frame; and   a core portion of the door defined between the first door facing and the second door facing,   a first door facing comprising a first hardened rectangular sheet and a first porous mat, the first hardened rectangular sheet comprising a first sheet molding compound establishing a first outer major surface of the first door facing, the first outer major surface being unbroken by the first porous mat, the first porous mat comprising first woven fiberglass having a first continuous structure integrally molded into and permeated by the first sheet molding compound, the first porous mat being directly adjacent to the core portion of the door, and   a second door facing comprising a second hardened rectangular sheet and a second porous mat, the second hardened rectangular sheet comprising a second outer major surface being unbroken by the second porous mat, the second porous mat comprising second woven fiberglass having a second continuous structure integrally molded into and permeated by the second sheet molding compound, the second porous mat being directly adjacent to the core of the door.   
     
     
         12 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second hardened rectangular sheet comprise first and second sheet molding compounds pre-impregnated into the first and second porous mats, respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second hardened rectangular sheets are compression molded. 
     
     
         14 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second porous mats have weaves liner than 5 by 5 pics per square inch. 
     
     
         15 . The door of  claim 11 , further comprising a core material disposed within the core portion of the door defined between the first and second door facings, 
     
     
         16 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second sheet molding compounds are formed from pastes comprising an unsaturated polyester. 
     
     
         17 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second sheet molding compounds comprise fiberglass. 
     
     
         18 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second sheet molding compounds comprise at least about 10% by weight chopped fiberglass. 
     
     
         19 . The door of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second sheet molding compounds comprise between about 10% by weight and about 18% by weight chopped fiberglass. 
     
     
         20 . The door of  claim 11 , wherein the door facings have rectangular outer boundaries that extend to and terminate at the peripheral frame.